The Spirit of God
- gospelthoughts
- Jan 5, 2017
- 5 min read
Friday Before The Epiphany A-1
Entrance Antiphon Ps 112 (111):4 A light has risen in the darkness for the upright of heart; the Lord is generous, merciful and just.
Collect Cast your kindly light upon your faithful, Lord, we pray, and with the splendour of your glory set their hearts ever aflame, that they may never cease to acknowledge their Saviour and may truly hold fast to him. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Scripture today: 1 John 5:5-13; Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20; Mark 1:7-11 or Luke 3:23-38.
And this was John’s message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:7-11)
The Spirit of God We read at the beginning of the Bible that, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1: 1-3). What was the inspired intent in speaking of the “spirit of God” here? It is, of course, disputed, but the plain meaning is at least that the power of God enveloped — hovered over — all. God spoke and by this power things came to be and were arranged. As with the word, so with the spirit, more and more was gradually revealed. The word was revealed to be the Word, and the spirit was revealed to be the Spirit, and each was the gift of God to man. In our Gospel passage today, God and his Word and the Spirit occupy the scene together, each in his individuality and yet in intimate communion. Let our attention turn for a moment to the Spirit. By the power of the Spirit, God created the universe. The Spirit is continually present in creation because by his power, God continually sustains the universe. He is also present among the peoples. When Pope Paul II addressed the Australian Aborigines at Alice Springs in 1986, he said that “for thousands of years” they had fashioned their culture, and that “during all this time, the Spirit of God has been with you.” The Pope said that “Your “Dreaming”..... is your own way of touching the mystery of God’s Spirit in you and in creation. You must keep your striving for God and hold on to it in your lives.” But there is clearly a sense in which the Holy Spirit was granted to individuals in a special way, granting fuller gifts and greater guidance. The Spirit came upon David when he was anointed by Samuel to be king after Saul. The Spirit came upon various Judges, such as Samson, to defend and guide the people. He came upon the prophets, and we read at the start of the Gospel of St Luke that he came upon John the Baptist while he was still in the womb. John had the greatest mission of the prophets, for he was to announce the arrival of the Messiah and point him out.
In our Gospel today (Mark 1:7‑11), the Spirit comes upon Jesus at his baptism in the river Jordan to launch him on his mission. It must have been a striking event: the heavens were seen to be “torn open”, and like a dove the Spirit descended on Christ in such a way as to be obvious. All of the comings of the Spirit on chosen persons were exceptional events with special results for those around. But the coming of the Spirit on Jesus was the herald of an altogether new coming: that coming of the Spirit on all men. And so it is that, just as there is the wonder of the Word of God becoming man, so there is the wonder of the Holy Spirit being granted to each of us who, by faith and baptism, accept the Word who is life. We do not think enough of the Holy Spirit. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that the world was made and is sustained. How mighty is the Holy Spirit! He is a distinct Person, a divine Self who views all of creation and who communes with the Father and the Son. He is the ineffable fulness of their life of love, and it is he who unites both in their eternal embrace. It was by his power that the wondrous miracle of the Incarnation was effected. It was by his power that the Son of God offered himself as a victim on the Cross, and it was by his power that he rose to life. It is by his power that the bread and the wine is changed at Mass into the Body and Blood of Christ. When we think of the Spirit we ought think of love and might, a might that led the unconquerable Christ to turn the prospects of the world right around. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Son of God broke the power of sin and set man in a heavenward direction. Now, this same Spirit who came upon Christ in the river Jordan comes upon us at our baptism, and again at our confirmation, and very many times in life, provided we remain in the state of grace. However, we puny and mortal creatures have it in our power to make the Holy Spirit sad, as St Paul writes. We do this when we commit deliberate sin.
The coming of the Holy Spirit on Christ at his baptism in the river Jordan marked his consecration as God’s instrument, whereby we would be born again in the Holy Spirit by faith and baptism. As we think of Jesus, let us think of the Gift he brings. That Gift is the Comforter, the Advocate, the Teacher, the Guide. He bears witness to Jesus, and transforms us gradually into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your faithful! Enkindle in us the fire of your love. Grant that by this Spirit we may be truly wise, and always rejoice in his consolations.
(E.J.Tyler)
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